The British Film Institute will release on 4K Blu-ray and Blu-ray Justin Kerrigan's Human Traffic (1999), starring John Simm, Lorraine Pilkington, Shaun Parkes, Nicola Reynolds, and Danny Dyer. The two releases are scheduled to arrive on the market on July 21.
UPDATE: An exclusive trailer for the new 4K restoration is now included below.
Official description: The film that celebrated the rave culture of late 90s Britain and became a comedy cult classic of the 'Cool Cymru' era, Human Traffic, written and directed by Justin Kerrigan, with a cast including John Simm and Danny Dyer in his first film role, unapologetically partied hard into cinemas on 4 June 1999. Now, 26 years later, it's back on the big screen, still larging it amidst a completely different cultural and clubbing landscape, newly remastered and released in selected cinemas on Wednesday 16 July 2025 by BFI Distribution. A preview screening takes place at BFI Southbank on Tuesday 15 July in NFT1.
The re-release will be heralded by a brand-new trailer and new poster, to be revealed in mid-June. The worldwide first-time ever 4K Blu-ray and Blu-ray collectors' editions will follow, stacked with newly commissioned special features and an illustrated booklet including exclusive new writing on the film.
Human Traffic brilliantly and non-judgementally chronicles a wild weekend in the lives of five friends in Cardiff who dive headlong into the drug-fuelled counterculture of the British rave scene, escaping from boring 9-5 jobs, bad relationships, and dysfunctional families. Come Friday night, Jip (John Simm, Life on Mars, Doctor Who), his bestie Koop (Shaun Parkes, The Mummy Returns, Small Axe: Mangrove), burger queen Nina (Nicola Reynolds, The Machine, Ideal) man-hating Lulu (Lorraine Pilkington, Monarch of the Glen) and sorted cock-er-ney-sparrer Moff (Danny Dyer, EastEnders, The Football Factory), kick back for a 48-hour bender. These warm, fuzzy, charismatic characters park their problems to drink, indulge in a choice selection of illicit substances, kick out the jams, throw some shapes and dance all night. Nice one, bruvver!
The film's exhilarating soundtrack, curated by Pete Tong and released as an album on 7 June 1999, includes tracks by Armand Van Helden, Orbital, Fatboy Slim, Lucid, Underworld, Peter Heller, Carl Cox and more. The main theme tune is Moff's Lyrical Miracle Madness composed by Matthew Herbert and Robert Mello.
Shot on location in and around Cardiff, including inside the legendary long-gone Emporium night club, the film's powerful supporting cast boasts Jo Brand, Andrew Lincoln, Carl Cox and the mighty Howard Marks as himself. Low budget but technically adventurous, fracturing the fourth wall with direct to camera dialogue and fast edits, Justin Kerrigan's exciting filmmaking style mirrored the energy and originality of its characters – and still packs a punch today.
Now looking and sounding better than ever before, at the cinema or on BFI Blu-ray and 4K Blu-ray, Human Traffic is a 12" white-label cult classic music movie serving up 99 minutes of nostalgic-1990s euphoria and ecstatic escapism from bleak modern Britain – for both the rave generation and a new generation. Party hard!
Special Features and Technical Specs:
NEW 4K RESTORATION OF THE FILM
DOLBY VISION/HDR PRESENTATION OF THE FILM
NEW audio commentary by film critic Mark Searby
NEW Nice one Bruvva (2025, 14 mins): film critic, broadcaster, author, ex-DJ and old skool raver Mark Searby revisits Human Traffic in this celebration of everything that makes it so unique
NEW Show Me the Money (2025, 19 mins): executive producer Renata S. Aly looks back on the making of Human Traffic
Danny Dyer in Conversation (2023, 69 mins): interviewed as part of the BFI's Acting Hard season, the actor discusses his career with the season's curator Nia Childs
Rave (1997, 12 mins): Partying like it's 1997. We follow DJ Manic rigging up decks in abandoned warehouses, a nosebleed 'techno tourist' who chases the hardcore around Europe and a girl addicted to... partying
Deleted scenes (1999, 22 mins): a selection of outtakes and scenes that hit the cutting room floor
Human Traffic pop promo (1999, 4 mins)
Trailer (1999)
Trailer (2025)
Optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature
First pressing only: Illustrated booklet with new writing on the film by Lou Thomas, Tim Murray and executive producer Renata S. Aly